Chapter 143: Gifting the Professor a Memory Box
After Harry displayed his Parseltongue ability, the atmosphere of the Duelling Club seemed to take a subtle turn. Everyone had initially been interested in duelling, but now many whispered and discussed Harry's Parseltongue talent—wondering if he might be the Heir of Slytherin.
At first, the young wizards' voices weren't very loud, but as more and more people joined the discussion, the entire Duelling Club stopped duelling altogether, turning instead to a heated debate about Harry.
"The Heir of Slytherin, a Gryffindor student?"
"Unimaginable. I thought it might be Malfoy."
"But perhaps it's normal, right? Slytherin's prophecy didn't say his future heir had to be from Slytherin House, did it?"
"That's true, but even if Potter showed Parseltongue talent, if he were the Heir of Slytherin and a Gryffindor student, he wouldn't open the Chamber of Secrets and release a monster to slaughter Muggle-borns."
"Why not? Those Gryffindors never study magic properly; they're always thinking about causing some earth-shattering event."
"...That actually makes sense."
Inside the Great Hall, people gathered in small groups, heads together, chatting intensely. They all wanted to know if Harry was the Heir of Slytherin, if the Chamber had been opened by him, or if he controlled the monster.
Lockhart actually didn't care about any of this. On the contrary, he was excited about the Chamber of Secrets incident. This meant he could potentially use it to launch another legendary adventure book that would shake the wizarding world! And since this incident was related to Hogwarts, his fame would surely rise even higher! So Lockhart wasn't too concerned about the Chamber. He was more concerned with getting everyone's attention back on himself, the founder of the Duelling Club! He was the star tonight!
However, no matter how much Lockhart weaved through the crowd, greeting people left and right, trying to refocus their energy, no one paid him any mind—not even his fans. After all, the Heir of Slytherin was linked to the Chamber of Secrets and a monster. And that monster could go on a killing spree at Hogwarts! When their own lives were at stake, who would care about some fellow in a child's wizard robe?
Harry couldn't stand the whispers of the entire hall. Hermione pulled him, and with Ron, they left. Dylan knew that the evening was likely over, so he walked towards Professor Snape.
"Professor, it seems he doesn't need our continued help here. Shall we leave too?"
Professor Snape glanced at him, then nodded without a word, simply walking directly towards the side door of the Great Hall. Dylan quickly followed.
Leaving the Great Hall, Dylan didn't immediately ask anything. It wasn't until they entered the corridor that Professor Snape spoke first.
"Your friend is a Parselmouth, and you seem not at all surprised?"
Dylan paused slightly: "Is there anything surprising about being a Parselmouth?"
Professor Snape narrowed his eyes, his voice like syllables caught in his throat. "Almost all known Parselmouths are descendants of Slytherin. That Potter boy possessing this ability will bring him great trouble."
Dylan nodded: "Yes, and it should be considerable trouble." Dylan naturally knew that Harry was a Parselmouth not because he was a descendant of Slytherin, but because of his connection to Voldemort's soul. If Voldemort truly perished and the soul fragment within Harry was destroyed, he would naturally lose his Parseltongue ability.
So, Dylan didn't actually need to extract Harry's living soul. If he could directly extract Voldemort's soul fragment and devour it, he might also directly gain the ability of Parseltongue.
However, as a Horcrux, Harry's own soul was already fused with Voldemort's soul fragment; the two were not independent. So, Dylan couldn't easily extract Voldemort's soul fragment directly.
Seeing Dylan's seemingly unconcerned demeanor, Snape was somewhat surprised: "It seems you don't care much for your friend. Aren't you afraid Potter is the Heir of Slytherin?"
Dylan blinked twice: "Wouldn't that be even better? As the Heir of Slytherin, he should be able to control that monster in the Chamber of Secrets, right?"
"Then I'd even like him to let me study that monster. I've encountered some bottlenecks in Transfiguration recently—you know, I don't have many creatures available for experimentation."
...
Professor Snape's mouth twitched. His thin lips parted slightly, then slowly closed.
—He was actually speechless.
"Professor, you're not worried that if Harry is the Heir of Slytherin, he'll do something out of line, are you?" Dylan asked, with a surprised look towards Professor Snape. "Don't worry. Just now, when he and Malfoy were pecking at each other—um, I mean when they were casting spells at each other, Harry seemed to not even understand how to cast a jinx from his wand."
Professor Snape nodded: "After all, he's someone with a loud name but actual abilities as disappointing as his recklessness."
Dylan: ...
Professor Snape truly spared no effort to belittle Harry at any time, in any place, on any occasion, seizing every opportunity.
As Professor Snape and Dylan spoke, both seemed to be employing Legilimency. Neither sensed any information from the other's emotions, nor could they read each other's minds.
After a brief chat, Professor Snape told Dylan, "Curfew is about to begin. If you don't want me to deduct points from you, you'd better go back to your dormitory now." As Snape's robes fluttered, he added before leaving: "Sleep well tonight. Don't let me see you out and about."
Dylan blinked, stood rooted to the spot, watching Professor Snape's cloak swirl away, and stroked his chin. "What did Professor Snape mean by that? Did he find out about my sneaking into the Forbidden Forest?" Dylan tilted his head: "It shouldn't be possible. I wore the Shadow Ring and used Coal Ball's ability to slip out directly. How could I have been discovered?"
After a moment's thought, Dylan's eyes blinked again. "Could it be that I misunderstood? Professor Snape wasn't hinting that he discovered me, but rather trying to warn me to be careful at night?" After all, there was still a monster roaming around.
The more Dylan thought about it, the more likely this seemed, and a smile involuntarily curved his lips. "Professor Snape really is something, not just telling me clearly what he means."
As Dylan walked towards his dormitory, he began to consider Professor Snape's next birthday present. Time flew by, and Christmas was approaching quickly. Soon after Christmas would be Professor Snape's birthday. He should start preparing now. Otherwise, when Professor Snape's birthday arrived and he couldn't produce a present worthy of Snape's approval, Professor Snape would again wear a cold face every day, putting pressure on him.
"But what should I give Professor Snape this time?" He'd given him a robe last time; should he give him another one this time?
"Or perhaps this time, I'll give Professor Snape a memory vial, one with three collapsible chambers."
The first chamber could contain the scent of beech and sunlight-infused soapwort. —Dylan remembered Lily received Muggle shampoo for her 14th birthday, which was the scent of oil extracted from beech nuts mixed with honeysuckle. The second chamber could have the scent of dungeon moss. The third chamber would be filled with the smell of absinthe.
"Then, the top notes will carry the sweet and tartness of beech, and the coldness of dungeon moss. This should remind Professor Snape of the musty smell of decaying leaves and the lingering scent of hair that he smelled at the tip of his nose when he held Lily's body."
"The absinthe in the middle notes, while it can't make Professor Snape recall the scent of Lily's wedding bouquet amidst blood and potion smells as he looked into Harry's eyes before he almost died—after all, Professor Snape is perfectly fine now—it might make him think of other scenes."
"As for the base notes, I might need to ask old Dumbledore for some phoenix tears. The final notes will then use the scorching heat of phoenix tears to evaporate all other scents in an instant, leaving only a faint, lingering fragrance."
"—Perhaps Professor Snape might even recall the memory of 11-year-old Severus successfully separating powdered asphodel for the first time in Potions class, while the scent of a Muggle girl's shampoo drifted in from outside the window?"
Dylan mused on how to create this memory vial to evoke past memories when Professor Snape smelled the scent.
"Perhaps some potion assistance will be needed."
As he walked, Dylan quickened his pace and soon returned to the Gryffindor common room. The news of what happened in the Duelling Club had already spread. The wizards who had returned to the common room earlier than Dylan had already told their friends. This made the entire common room very lively, with many discussing Harry being a Parselmouth, and why Slytherin's Parselmouth would be in Gryffindor, including whether Harry was the Heir of Slytherin.
Dylan wasn't particularly close with these students, so he naturally didn't chat with anyone, heading straight for his dormitory. Upon entering, Dylan saw Neville, Harry, and the others mostly there, all looking a bit grim. He closed the door; outside, people were even standing in the corridor, trying to peek inside.
As the dormitory door closed, blocking their view, Dylan looked at Harry, who was huddled on his bed, looking rather dazed, hugging his knees, and lost in thought. Ron's face also looked unwell. Seeing Dylan return, he opened his mouth but didn't break the silence immediately.
It was Harry whose gaze shifted slightly upwards, looking at Dylan, his expression bewildered and a little helpless, his lips trembling slightly as he stammered, "Dylan, Hermione said... Parseltongue is from Slytherin's lineage? Am I... could I be a descendant of Slytherin?"
Dylan tilted his head. It seemed this little savior was a bit scared by his own bloodline now? He looked at Harry with amusement. However, his expression, as seen by Harry, made Harry feel that the almost omnipotent Dylan was confirming this fact for him. The flicker of hope in Harry's heart shattered like a bubble.
Dylan then raised his wand: "Cheering Charm!"
A bright light floated from the wand tip, finally landing on Harry, causing his expression, which had been like someone whose parents had died again, to slightly loosen. He looked considerably more relaxed.
"Harry, I have to say, your father and mother have both passed away. Does it really matter if you're a descendant of Slytherin?"
Harry: (∧)...
His slightly relaxed expression, brought on by Dylan's Cheering Charm, stiffened once more.
"Sorry, just being honest here. Your dad, as the heir of the Potter family, couldn't possibly have Slytherin blood, right? Your mom, you've told me, came from a Muggle family, correct?"
Harry nodded blankly.
"So, do you think Slytherin would let his bloodline become a Muggle? Whose ancestor from your mom's side could have been born from Slytherin?"
Dylan walked to Harry's bed, gently pinched his index finger and thumb together, then flicked them apart with lightning speed, hitting Harry precisely on the forehead with a "pat."
"Hiss!"
Harry quickly clutched his forehead: "Ouch!!"
Dylan stood beside the bed, subtly sensing the collision of the spells Soul-Draining, Soul-Fragment Seizure, Necromantic Return, Parasitic Possession, and Spirit Banishment with the Voldemort soul fragment within Harry's soul.
"Indeed, it's not easy to directly peel off."
Harry felt so much pain he could barely sit still: "Dylan... how can your hand be so strong?"
Dylan gave an embarrassed laugh, walked to his own bed, took off his jacket, and then sat down. Looking at the bewildered Harry, he spoke again.
"Never mind that for now. Think about it: didn't we witness someone write in blood that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, and wasn't Mrs. Norris truly attacked? So, was the Chamber opened by you?" Dylan immediately changed the subject.
Harry, foolishly drawn into Dylan's words, then shook his head.
"Then there you have it, right? The Chamber wasn't opened by you, so how could you be the Heir of Slytherin?"
Dylan smiled, seeing Harry look a bit dizzy. He felt a little bad—but there was nothing he could do. Being tested by several spells at once could indeed cause some shock to Harry's soul.
—This was after he had mastered these spells to their maximum level, ensuring Harry's soul didn't suffer any real damage. And he was targeting the fragment within Harry's soul, so Harry feeling a headache was because his soul was truly fused with Voldemort's soul fragment. However, Dylan could also guarantee that Harry's headache would disappear with a good night's sleep.
"Since you're not the Heir of Slytherin, then whether you might be a descendant of Slytherin simply doesn't matter, does it?"
"How many wizards are there in Britain? Even if you add up all the wizards in England, it's just a small handful. There's bound to be some relation between wizards, more or less. Even if you are his descendant, you're just a descendant, not his direct lineage." Dylan lay down on his bed.
Hearing his words, Ron immediately perked up. "I think Dylan's right! And you're a Gryffindor, not a Slytherin!"
"But..." Harry paused, "The Sorting Hat said I could go to Slytherin too—and that it suited me very well."
Dylan rolled his eyes: "The Sorting Hat also said I shouldn't come to Hogwarts and should go to Azkaban instead—you believe a hat?"
"Pfft!" Harry was amused.
"Alright, get ready for bed," Dylan waved him off.
Ron quickly added: "Don't overthink it, Harry. Weren't we together the day the Chamber of Secrets was opened? You definitely aren't the Heir of Slytherin! The reason you're a Parselmouth might be for some other reason, and even if you're a descendant of Slytherin, it's nothing! It's enough that we're Gryffindors now!"
Neville and Seamus also chimed in. These two had been quite shocked when they saw Harry was a Parselmouth, but they didn't think Harry was the Heir of Slytherin. Besides, they were roommates and knew Harry's personality better than outsiders, so they wouldn't be afraid of him because of this.
Under their persuasion, Harry finally managed to clear his head. Indeed, what did it matter if he was a descendant of Slytherin or not? He knew he wasn't the Heir of Slytherin, and he was a Gryffindor now, and that was enough! Thus, the dormitory atmosphere became relaxed again.
However, while they thought this, the other students at Hogwarts had their own ideas. On Friday during classes, people who used to greet Harry occasionally now kept their distance—one might even say they avoided him. Harry was almost isolated for a time, but luckily, Ron and Hermione were always by his side, making him seem less alone.
"So this is what it feels like to be shunned by everyone... How does Dylan put up with it?" Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione at dinner.
—Because Dylan spent every day immersed in the ocean of knowledge, he barely had any friends and was a lone wolf. Plus, the news of him single-handedly defeating a troll spread throughout the school, making other students both admire and distance themselves from him. Everyone felt that Dylan was a rather unapproachable person. This meant Dylan's daily situation was just like Harry's today—completely ignored.
"You should worry less about other people," Hermione said, glancing at Dylan.
Do you want to know what happens next with Dylan's gift idea for Snape, or perhaps more about the Chamber of Secrets mystery?
.....
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